RAMMSTEIN - Rammstein

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That moment has finally arrived: here we are talking about the new album of original material by Rammstein. Ten years of silence, punctuated by consistently spectacular live shows, the negligible Lindemann project (except for the successful trap turn of "Mathematik"), and the incalculable flurry of rumors and news bordering on farce that's been accompanying the return of Tool. Spasmodic anticipation for the countless devoted fans and for industry insiders alike, heightened by recent, mysterious previews, right up to the release of the first single, "Deutschland". Always known for striking videos, this time the band outdid themselves with a sprawling epic revisiting the history of Germany, scattering it with self-references: the image of cannibalism inflicted on a female body recalls the cover of "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da", and the five musicians on leashes nod to the ending of the famous, destabilizing video for "Mein Teil" (which deals precisely with the cannibal Armin Meiwes, the Master Butcher). Right on cue came the controversy (more or less justified) over certain scenes; the fact remains that "Deutschland" currently has fifty million views on YouTube: Rammstein still know how to get people talking. Whether that's good or bad is beside the point. But as we said at the outset, what interests us most is the music: let's move past the blank, untitled cover with a match at its center and see whether the long wait has been well rewarded.

Recorded over the course of 2018 in France at the Fabrique in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, "Rammstein" is the first work on which the band's longtime producer Jacob Hellner does not appear: in his place is Olsen Involtini. The album was preceded by two singles, "Deutschland" and "Radio". In the first we find the band's winning blend of electronics and metal, culminating in a lavish chorus, with self-references present at the lyrical level too ("Du Hast" and "Ich Will" echo at the start of the verses, where Till Lindemann declaims his controversial relationship with his homeland). The second, "Radio", is decidedly more aggressive and driving, yet it carries a melodic touch far from the band's tanz roots, much to the dismay of those hoping for a return to their harsher origins. Two songs, two very fine singles, little to argue about.

Let's carry on by saying straight away what doesn't work: Rammstein have settled into the formula that's guaranteed them fame and numbers ever since "Reise Reise". Despite the time that's passed, there's little difference between this record and its predecessors: expectations were high, and they've been partly let down. What's missing is the bite, the compositional nastiness and the lyrical craft of seminal works like "Sehnsucht" and "Mutter". To be clear: this isn't a bad record, but anyone expecting Rammstein's masterpiece, or at least a shocking comeback, will be left disappointed. Especially faced with "Auslander", a thrash-dance number hard to justify as mere divertissement, while "Sex" – whose guitar riff sounds too close to Muse's "Psycho" – despite a fine central solo, never quite takes off, making it clear Lindemann has run out of original things to say on the subject.

Now for the high points. "Puppe" is one of Lindemann's finest performances ever, every molecule of the song vibrating with a tremendous tension that deserves an immediate place among the band's career highlights: we would have welcomed more moments of this calibre. Also lovely are the two intense acoustic minutes of "Diamant", the heartfelt "Was Ich Liebe", and while "Zeig Dich" sounds like an updated version of "Zerstören" (complete with the introductory "sacred choirs" as in "Rammlied"), its fervour manages to stand out more than its companions "Weit Weg" or "Tattoo".

Closed out by "Hallomann", "Rammstein" is a well-crafted, workmanlike effort that adds nothing to the currently not-so-thriving musical discourse of these Germans: there's no shortage of good moments, but considering the time spent making it and the band's own worth, the record glides by too harmlessly, without leaving any particularly meaningful mark. Ten years of waiting for a few great tracks to maybe see live alongside the other classics really isn't much. A shame.

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18/05/2019